Helsinki, Finland My Travel Notes

Today, Helsinki, one of the interesting cities of Scandinavia, is on my route! After my journey that started in Tallinn, I set foot in Finland today.. Are you ready to explore the north with me ?

In my Helsinki travel notes you can find, places to visit in Helsinki and my general impressions of Finland along with my adventure. time !

Helsinki Overview

How to Get to Helsinki ?

Saturday, December 10, 2016. I wake up in Tallinn at around 05.00 in the morning.. Time to set off for the port quickly. My ship departing at 07.30 will take me to Helsinki after a 3-hour voyage.

Of course, this is not the only way to reach Helsinki.. There are direct flights from our country to here every day of the week, and you have many options as a connecting flight.. You can also reach via St.Petersburg by road.

Transportation between Helsinki and Tallinn

I will travel between Tallinn and Helsinki with Tallink company. I bought my ticket months in advance as a round trip. This journey takes only 3 hours.

I’m going to spend a day in Finland, I’ll be back in the evening. Since Helsinki is not a very big city, I think it will be enough.. I’m also planning to go to Suomenlinna Island during the day.

The Ship That Will Take Me To Helsinki / Port of Tallinn

It’s pretty cold. I reach the port with fast steps and get on the ship after the controls.. This short trip to the Baltic sea will be very exciting for me.. Ship cruises always hold a special place for me.

Where is Helsinki?

I would like to briefly talk about Finland and Helsinki. Finland is a country we are all familiar with. Located in the northernmost part of Europe, on the Scandinavian Peninsula. The country’s currency is the Euro and the official language is Finnish.

Helsinki Overview

Is it Necessary to Obtain a Visa to Finland?

There is normally no time difference with our country. However, with the end of summer time in our country this year, they are 1 hour behind in winter.

Finland is a member of the European Union and Schengen.. Turkish citizens need a visa for their travels. You can review my article on the subject.

Which Countries Do We Need to Get a Visa to?

Helsinki, originally known as Helsingfors, is the capital of Finland and It is located at the southern tip of the country, on the coast of the Baltic Sea.. This city, with a population of 600 thousand, is a new residential area founded in the 16th century.

On the way to Helsinki / Baltic Sea

Helsinki especially high standard of living

End of the street I arrive at Esplanadiparken. Means “Square Park” in Finnish. This is the most important park in the city center.. There is a square and monument in the middle of the park.

The cafes and restaurants on the park are designed with pleasure.. It leads straight to the beach.. Due to the period I was in, the trees in the park were decorated with lights andchristmas decorations added a different beauty to this place.. In addition, the fact that the ground is earth creates a good feeling in people.

Esplanadiparken and the Monument in the Middle

Market Square

I’m reaching the beach now. This is the coast on the other side of the peninsula where Helsinki is located, relative to the harbor end.. Since Helsinki is made up of small and large islands and peninsulas, it has many beaches and ports.

This is the place where the first photos shown when Helsinki is mentioned, Market Square. As you can understand from the name, there are shops along the beach.. You can buy souvenirs and local products from these shops.

One of the Pleasant Cafes on Esplanadiparken

There is a monument named Keisarinnankivi in ​​the square and beautiful Finnish buildings.. The Ferris wheel, one of the symbols of Helsinki rising right behind it, and the boats of all sizes on the beach complete the silhouette.

As you can imagine, Helsinki is among the most expensive cities for tourists. I am here too. This is the main reason why I prefer a day trip.. The Estonian city of Tallinn, only 80 km south, is almost several times more affordable than here. I chose that place to stay.

I continue on my way. I’m moving to the Katajanokka area. This is one of the adjacent islands in Helsinki. I cross a small bridge and arrive at Uspenski Cathedral, one of the most important buildings in the city.

Uspenski Cathedral

Uspenski Cathedral

Uspenski Cathedral is a church whose construction was completed in 1868.. It is possible to see Russian architectural influences at first glance in the building designed by Russian Architect Aleksey Gornostayev.. I can say that it is one of the most magnificent structures in the city.

You can visit the cathedral free of charge every day except Mondays.. I add to my notes that I had the chance to tour the interior of the cathedral to warm a little from the cold outside.

Ferry to Suomenlinna Island

Journey to Suomenlinna

My time is approaching noon. I can’t say that the sun is at the top because Helsinki is quite north, so the sun ends the day by drawing an arc close to the horizon.. The air, which is already bright at 9 in the morning, goes down around 3-4.. Sun duration is very short.. If you can be as lucky as I am and see it!

I will return to the beach at this point and take the ferry to Suomenlinna Island.. Suomenlinna is an island I recommend to visit in Helsinki.. I will be sharing my notes here in a separate article.. Now, with my return from the island, I continue with my remaining impressions in Helsinki.

My Travel Notes to Suomenlinna Island, Finland

Senate Square / Invisible Helsinki Cathedral on the right

Senate Square and Helsinki Cathedral

I’m moving a little north from the port and there is the Senate Square, that is, Senate Square. This is the most important center of the city.. The most striking structure of this square, which is surrounded by magnificent buildings on all four sides, is of course the Helsinki Cathedral.

The construction of the Helsinki Cathedral was completed in 1852.. We can directly describe it as a mixture of Russian and Contemporary Finnish Architecture. Since it is located 20-30 meters above the square, it can be seen from most points of the city.. Its white color and details similar to the Roman columns in front of it are worth seeing.

Helsinki Cathedral Rising Behind the Carnival Air in the Square

What to Eat in Helsinki?

I will talk about the Senate Square again.. In this square, as on the beach, there are shops of all sizes.. Mostly touristy but there are many fast food food shops for locals as well. You can try local flavors here.

There is a fairground atmosphere in the square because it is the weekend and the weather is sunny.. Contrary to my general impression of the city, I can say that it is quite lively.

Senate Square from Helsinki Cathedral

Aleksanterinkatu Street

After having a snack and resting in the square, I continue walking on Aleksanterinkatu street.. You can reach this street right from the Senate Square.. This is one of the most lively and famous streets of the city where the heart beat. There are shopping malls and various shops along the way.

Now there is Helsinki Train Station. I also like to visit the train stations in every city I go to.. Because most of them are interesting, historical buildings and they are full of shops that taste like semi-shopping malls.

A Street Artist Playing in Aleksanterinkatu District

Helsinki Train Station

The station is too magnificent as I expected.. From here, trains to Turku in particular other cities in Finland and Russia-Saint Petersburg depart. Those who are considering a separate Finland trip can easily reach the remaining Finnish cities from here.

It’s getting dark slowly now.. My last few spots in Helsinki for me too. One of them is the Finnish Parliament Building. Although it is not possible to enter inside in normal time, I can say that it has a different view from the outside.. As you can imagine, this is where the country is run.

Helsinki Train Station

Shopping in Helsinki

Now I arrive at Kampen, my final destination in the city. This is the living central area of ​​the city, there are two shopping malls called Forum and Kampi Center.. Although I define it as a shopping center, it contains more living spaces and open areas.. Because of the cold weather, I prefer the interior of Kampi Center.

There are more cafes and restaurants inside.. I sit in one and look around.. Meanwhile, I think I’ve caught the attention of a few students right next to me when they asked where I was from and they started chatting.. They were studying at the Helsinki University of Technology.. The conversation went a little deeper, as many of my future colleagues will be engineers. Thanks to this, I had the opportunity to get to know the Finnish people closely.

Kampi Center and the Square in Front of it

Are Finns Friendly?

Although they seem cold in general, I can say that people are optimistic towards tourists in Helsinki.. Those who learned that I was Turkish approached with even more interest.. I guess it is noticed at first glance that we are not there on the street anyway.. Because the local population is mostly white. Even the people you would call fair-skinned in us are dark compared to here!

I almost forget the time when I get into the conversation. It’s time for me to return. I bid farewell to my Finnish friends, whom I thank for their nice conversations, and start walking towards the harbour.

I will return to Tallinn as soon as I arrive in the morning. My ship leaves at 18.30. Although it seems early, the fact that it has been dark since three in the afternoon makes me feel like midnight.. On this trip, I will travel on the beautiful ship Baltic Queen.

The Streets of Helsinki

To put it together, I had a good day in Helsinki.. In a short time, I had the chance to visit many places in line with the plans I made before my arrival.. Those who have time can also visit the Kaisaniemi Park and the underground church named Temppeliaukion in the north of the city. I couldn’t visit the church because it was closed at the time I went.

Helsinki Museums

I need to add that Helsinki is full of museums like other Scandinavian cities. Since I had visited so many museums in this region before, I made a plan for myself with general city impressions.. Those who spend a few days in Helsinki can visit these museums.

Helsinki General Skyline / Returning to Suomenlinna From the Ferry

I haven’t met any Turks in the city during the day. Frankly, there was nothing that reminded us of our country.. In Finland, you can distance yourself from the confusion of where you live for a while.

Cities to Visit Around Helsinki

My suggestion for your visits to Helsinki is not to be limited to here.. You can move to the Baltic Region like me or move on to Sweden to visit Stockholm another important Scandinavian capital. It is possible to find affordable flight tickets to these regions.. Located just 300km from Saint Petersburg. Of course, it may be more difficult to reach this region since Russia is not in the European border union.

My Ship to Take Me to Tallinn / Port of Helsinki

Is Helsinki Expensive?

Finally, of the city in general I have to remind you again that it is expensive . Most of the people who travel to Tallinn with me come to Tallinn for the weekend to have fun.. The reason for this is that Estonia is much more convenient.